{a chalk paint review: kitchen stools makeover

01/06/2014

Even though it’s been around for a long time, chalk paint has especially been a trend for the past couple of years, and has been gaining in popularity around the blogosphere. As someone who paints a lot of furniture, I’d wanted to try it for a long time, but really wanted to wait for the perfect project to come along first. Finally, I found THE project. Eight kitchen stools that belonged to our old dining table–the one before the lovely farmhouse table we use now–that I really wanted to use around our big island were just begging to be refinished. Six of them would fit…perfect for our kids!

Once I decided on the project a few months ago, and was searching for information, I saw a lot of posts on making your own DIY chalk paint, and then posts over which brand is better and why–so MUCH information to ingest, that even for someone who is experienced in furniture refinishing it seemed a little bit overwhelming. But…I was curious, and still wanted to try it, so I went with a major brand name, and lucky for me, one that I could find just 10 minutes from my home…Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. She was actually the first to develop a paint with these properties, and was the one to give it the name “chalk paint” over 20 years ago. I figured that was a very good place to start. I started with those stools a few months ago, then went to paint several other pieces (with different finishes) to get a better idea of the product, and today I’m going to give you my review of chalk paint…pros, cons, faqs, and whether or not I’ll use it again! I’m not an expert…simply a girl that loves to refinish furniture, and is a consumer like the rest of you! I’m only hoping to share my experience, in the hopes that it will help you!

I’m SO happy with how they turned out! Can you believe the difference?

If you’re wondering what chalk paint even is, or are confused about it, let’s start here:

What is chalk paint?

It’s not to be confused with chalkboard paint–which allows you to write on it with chalk. Chalk paint is a type of paint that is known for (and was named for) its very matte, and “chalky” finish. It does have a matte finish, but you can achieve “shine” or “luster” by buffing. It was created for furniture painting, and so that artists could manipulate it to their needs. You can add water and use it as a wash, add to the color range by mixing colors or diluting with white chalk paint, and more.

Why would you use it? What are the pros and cons?

Well, the answers here are mine, but overall they are going to vary from person to person, as everyone has their own opinion…including me. They are also based on Annie Sloan chalk paint, since that’s what I used! ☺ So, according to my own experience, here are the pros and cons:

PROS:

-It rarely requires any upfront prep, no sanding OR priming. This is a HUGE plus for me, because I tend to refinish a lot of things that have a slick or shiny surface, and I’m not a huge fan of sanding all of it off, lol.

-It adheres to pretty much any surface–wood, laminate, plastic, metal, you name it! Even kitchen cabinets!

-It dries very quickly, so I can do two coats easily in one day (depending on big the project is), plus a coat of wax.

-The finish is unique; the matte, “chalky” look lends itself to a wonderful end product, and it distresses beautifully!

-It can be used inside or outside (Annie Sloan…you would have to check on other brands and DIY)

-One quart lasts FOREVER–it goes really far!

-It’s durable. Once it’s waxed and dried, the finish is hard. Our kitchen stools get used A LOT, by lots of little kids, and they are holding up beautifully.

-If a drip dries before you catch it, just scrape it off and paint right over it again! SO easy!

CONS:

-It’s pricey. Compared to regular latex paint, it’s way more expensive. If I were to compare what it would have cost to do my eight stools in spray paint, it would be more comparable. I estimate it would have been around $45-$50 to use spray paint, and I spent around $70 for chalk paint (wax and paint).

-It’s more time-intensive. There’s time saved upfront, because of the no prep required, but you pay for it on the back end. Once it’s painted, you have to wax it, then buff it.

-If you want to repaint, you have to strip the wax before you do. Or…you can paint over it with chalk paint and re-wax.

-There is a definite learning curve to chalk paint. The painting really isn’t bad, but it’s the waxing that can be tricky. I highly suggest watching tutorials before you start, just so you can get a visual of what you need to do.

Chalk Paint FAQ:

Where do you buy it?

You need to find a retailer. I totally lucked out and there is a place just 10 minutes from me that sells it !! If you search and there isn’t a brick & mortar store near you, you can always order it from a retailer online, and have it shipped to you.

How much does it cover (one quart)?

A LOT. About 140 square feet!! I did all eight of my chairs, three coats each, and still had about 1/4 of a quart left! My can of white has done a table, dresser, and several frames, and I still have about 1/3 of a quart. It really goes far, which alleviates the sticker shock a little bit. :) One quart is usually around $38.95.

Do you have to seal it after it’s painted?

Yes. It’s best to use a furniture wax, and Annie Sloan recommends using the Hannant’s Wax (soft wax), so that’s what I use, but you can use other sealants.

I’ve heard it takes only one coat, is that true?

In my experience, no. To get a great cover, you need at least two coats, maybe three, and it just depends on what you’re painting.

Can you see brush strokes?

You can definitely see brush strokes after the first coat, but after the second coat, and after it dries, they fade and appear smooth. Every once in a while, I’ll get some brush strokes show through, but they are more natural, like worn furniture. I’m happy with that.

What surfaces can you paint?

This is the great part…anything!!! I’ve used it on wood, laminate, metal, plastic, and various slick surfaces, newly built furniture, and old pieces, and it’s adhered perfectly to them all!

Do you have to distress it?

No! It does distress really well, but you don’t have to. You can buff it so it’s smooth with a little shine–it just depends on your preference.

Do you have to buy the special brushes?

I have both the Annie Sloan paint brush and wax brush, and use them the most. You can get away with using a different brand (but high quality) paint brush, but for the wax I recommend using the Annie Sloan wax brush, or a lint free cloth. Old tee shirts work really well!

What about making your your own chalk paint instead of buying it?

I haven’t done this yet, only because I didn’t want to make it the first few times I used it, but I do plan to at least try a recipe or two to see how I like it.

Can you use it in a paint sprayer?

I’m not sure, I haven’t tried it, but I don’t know why not. It would be worth experimenting with!

Overall, I really love working with chalk paint. I love the way it looks, I love the colors and the finish. I won’t use it for every project–it has to be the right one–but for pieces that I really love and want in my home for a long time, I will definitely consider using chalk paint for them.

I adore my kitchen stools–they are perfect for the island, and the color is fabulous! (I used Duck Egg Blue and Clear Wax)

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask…I’ll do my best to answer them, or send you somewhere that can. ☺

Lovely comments

Wow, these turned out great and I love the color! Great job. I also love that grocery sign over your sink. I saw that at Hobby Lobby last week and am still debating on getting it for my kitchen. Love your blog!

I LOVE how the stools turned out! Thank you for answering so many questions about the chalk paint process. I have been reading about chalk paint for some time now, and I think I may finally be ready to use it.

Thanks a LOT for allyour valuable information on tjis paintball! I’ve tried it too, and I have a few questions, that I hope you ‘d like to answer:
1.when I paintball the second time, it’ S as if the first layer starts ” moving around”. Have you noticed that too? What do you think I do wrong?
2. I have tried to wax afterwards but about the same thing happens. I usel a wax fr.o.m. Liberon.

I realt hope you could hela me, because I love the colors of chalk paintball by A S, and especially the fact that I Caj find it in My hometown in Sweden!
Think sin advance, Birgitta

1. No–I haven’t ever noticed this before. Are you letting the first coat completely dry before applying a second coat?
2. I don’t have any experience with that type of wax, but it sounds like you may want to try a different brand, to see if the problem is with that particular wax. Have you tried the Annie Sloan’s soft wax? That’s awesome you can find it in your hometown!!

Love the chairs, they are beautiful. I wish you lived next door I could use your inspiration. My sister loves to paint and when she visits I usually have a list of things to get done, I will have to add some chalk paint items to the list..

Your chairs look great. I have some bookcases I would like to do but I’m concerned about how the paint will wear on the shelves. I would think it would be comparable to the seats and the rungs on the bottoms of your bar stools as far as wear goes but I would love your opinion.

So far, so good!! I did distress the rungs of the chairs, so it looks natural if there ends up being any wear. It’s been about 6 months…you’ll have to ask me again in another few months and see how it’s holding up!

Thank you for the great review and info. I have a dining table that desperately needs help, to the point that I keep a table cloth on it at all times. I would love to try the chalk paint on it.. but do you think that it would hold up? It certainly could not get worse at this point, I could always just keep the tablecloth on.. I just do not want to waste the time and $$ if it can be avoided.

I think if you do it right, take your time with the process, and wax it really well, it could hold up. I would suggest maybe using a tablecloth for meals that you know are going to be using a lot of dishes, and a lot of movement, but for day-to-day I think it would be fine. Do you want it distressed at all? I like the distressed look, and that’s how I did my chairs, and I love it, because if it does get a little scratch, it blends right in! :) I haven’t done a table that was going to be used on a daily basis, but if I had one, I would probably try chalk paint!!

Kierste, I have a dresser that was my grandmothers from the 70’s. It is a wide 6 drawer dresser with a laminate top but the rest…drawers, side etc., are wood. Plus it has a mirror that attaches to it. Do you think a quart would still be enough for a piece this size? Also with the top being laminate….I really don’t have to prime it? I noticed in your post on the laminate dresser that you used primer and then chalk paint. What would you recommend. Also, I’ve never painted furniture before so this is a new adventure! Thanks!

I really think it would—it goes a long, long way!! On the dresser, I did not use a primer, because of the chalk paint. I was suggesting that if you don’t use chalk paint, you definitely need a primer.

And no…you really don’t have to prime it! If you paint two coats (three if you need it), then wax it well, it should be fine! So…you can choose what you want to do–you will have the work either before or after, depending on what you choose. If you use chalk paint, there is little to no prep–no sanding or priming–but it is more time intensive to wax it afterward. Or…if you use latex paint, you’ll have to lightly sand it, then prime it really well before painting, then a polyurethane on top–but that’s easy to wipe on with a lint-free cloth. It really depends on what look you’re going for, and which of the above choices you like better!! Good luck! Let me know if I can help anymore!! xoxo

Your stools are adorable! I have used chalk paint once on a wooden basket without the wax and the feel is, well, very chalky. I was wondering if using the wax, especially on furniture that gets touched a lot, gives it a more smooth texture?
Thanks

Yes—the wax is definitely recommended, and makes a huge difference. It protects it, makes it smoother, more durable, and gives it a finished look. You can buff it to the lustre that you want. I would try the wax!!!

This is great! I didn’t know the difference between chalk and chalkboard paint! I have several pieces of furniture that need to be refinished and I think I may try this! Your stools look gorgeous! Love that color!!!!!

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Hello, I'm Kierste--and I'm so happy you're here. I'm mama to six darlings (including two sets of twins), and married to the best guy ever. We just built our farmhouse on nine wooded acres in New York state that we've called Old Salt Farm, and this is our journey to make our house a home. Old Salt Farm. This is our homemade life.

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